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Playing ball, having fun suits these kids to a Tee By Sam Natrop Plaindealer News Service WONDER LAKE-The sounds one would hear when watching the game for the first time are not the usual sounds associated with a baseball game. Consider: "Michael, that helmet is not for standing on your head." "Karen, would you PLEASE quit chewing on your glove." "Rick, come back here. You must touch third base before going to home." "Melinda, if you don't quit watching the airplanes, you're going to get hit in the chin with the ball." But the charm of the Wonder Lake Tee League lies in that unpredictability of each of the 72 kids involved in the third-year program. Sometimes the baserunners don't want to touch third base. Sometimes the batter wants to take five minutes worth of practice swings before hitting the ball. And, yes, sometimes it's more important to wear the red helmet even though the blue one is the right size and the red one is four sizes too large. But for 10 weeks every Wednesday night, it's a hap­ pening in Wonder Lake. "The field was made out of the woods," said Bob Freund, the man given the credit for the birth of the league. "We figured the men, women and girls had their program, so we thought we'd try this. It was really Clem Stubstad's idea. We have to give a lot of the credit to him." And while the league officers are modestly passing the credit, the kids are busy having a wonderful time. "We don't keep score. We don't count up to three outs. We play three innings and let everyone bat," Freund said. "We want to teach the kids how to play the game and tell them the point is not to win or lose." There are no practices because, well, sometimes its hard enough to get the kids to pay attention to the game, say nothing about practice. "Most of the time, once a week is plenty for the coaches," Freund said. "The attention span of a five- or six-year-old just won't last more than a couple of minutes." Ah, patience-that illusive quality sought of any coach who takes on the chore of teaching the basics to 15 kids whose main concern is to get the red helmet. "Those guys are the saints of the league," Freund said. "These 5% and six year olds simply can't grasp baseball concepts the first time they hear them. They have to be told over and over and over." Freund said he's had no problem getting coaches- patient coaches-to help out. "The first year (with two teams) it was no problem at all and last year we had to ask a couple of people and they readily agreed. "We've been blessed with good coaches. They carry the load, they work with the kids. They deserve the praise." The league is open to kids between 5% and seven years of age. The cutoff dates for kids are the same as Wonder Lake's Little League "so we do not infringe on their program in the least," Freund said. There are some special rules such as the sponge rubber ball used so as to avoid chin, and other, injuries. Each player on the bench bats regardless of the number of outs. Thompson road to create some more parking space," he said. "Until then, we have to do the best we can." Of the 72 kids in the program, Freund estimated the break­ down was 50-50 between boys and girls. After Tee League, where hopefully the players get a basic understanding of the rules, they go on to Little League or softball. "That's what I'm really in­ terest in," Freund said. "I'd like to go over there (to Little League and softball diamonds) and find out if we're paying off-- see if the kids coming into those programs for the first time are a little farther along in their baseball skills than kids have been in the past. "I've got a feeling we're not hurting it (the quality of Little Leauge) too much," he added. The only criticism Freund said he has heard of the program is a coach who once yelled a little too much at one of his players. "I feel, however, if you put yourself in the coaches shoes, and if you didn't yell a little bit once in a while, that you wouldn't be human. But, "We've been blessed with good coaches. They carry the load, they work with the kids. They deserve the praise." -- Bob Freund Plaindealer photo by Sam Natrop Concentration is key to success in any baseball program, and the Wonder Lake Tee League is no exception. The players, who range 5% to 7 years, are taught the basic principles. The batter must hit the ball past the 30-foot chalk line. There are no strikeouts. Having fun is a must. Freund said one thing he is extremely pleased with is the support and following that parents and family have offered the league. "That's what it's all about. It shows a good thing about the parent and about the league," he said. The league began in 1981 with 30 kids and two teams. Last year, it grew to 60 kids and four teams, this year there are five teams, and next year. . .well, next y6yext year Freund said the league may go to six. "We could probably put up another backstop. It would be no real problem, but the parking is a major problem," Freund said. Presently, cars park along both sides of Thompson Road and lines extend far down from the field. It's a problem, and Freund knows it. fe're looking to get fill up Plaindealer photos by Chri* Juzwik McHenry's Wade Cepulis is in full stride as he races for the finish on Riverside Drive. Cepulis was a third place finisher last year, and cruised to victory this time with a time of 35:09 in the run, which is just under seven miles. Eight spots still open for Rusty Nail tourney Eight openings remain for the sixth annual Rusty Nail slow-pitch softball tournament, scheduled for August 3-5 at Knox Park. Entry fee for the 32-team tourney is $90 per team, which guarantees at least two games. Today, Friday, is the final day for registration. Contact Gary Sch- mitt, 385-9651, or Kevin Bauer, 728-0150 to register or for more in­ formation. Wt overall, I haven't heard anything real bad," he said. The league is supported mainly by the $7.50 registration fee for returning players (which includes a T-shirt) and the $10 fee for first-year players, which includes a hat and T-shirt. Players are asked to keep their hats from year to year. "The infield was our biggest endeavor," Freund said. "It cost $300 to make it nicer and the village picked up $200 of that. We are hoping for no more 'Jacobson Park hops.' We just look to break even. If we have some excess, that's fine, but we're just looking to get even." But 'breaking even' isn't entifely what the Wonder Tee League is all about. As Freund put it: "If you see a kid go through the program and get a kick out of it. If you see him miss every ground ball hit to him for two years, and then see him or her field one cleanly and throws the runner out at first. . . "That's what it's all about." McHenry Men's 12-inch J West End Pub triples up Jack's Just when it looked as if the Snack Shop was going to pull off another late-inning rally to win the game, a win which could have clinched first place for them, the unbelievable happened - a triple play. Jim Pinkstaff had singled to lead off the Snack Shop half of number seven. Dan McAuliffe singled, as did Doug Oeffling, scoring Pinkstaff, and cutting the West End lead to 8-7. With McAuliffe at second and Oeffling at first, and still no outs, Steve Knox grounded sharply to third baseman Tom Burke, who forced McAuliffe at third, fired to second baseman Steve Lane to force Oeffling, and Lane gunned to first baseman Doc Wallen to nip Knox and end the contest. Lane's RBI single in the sixth proved to be the game-winner for the Pub. Pat Burke crushed two homers into left field, a leadoff blast in the second, and a two-run shot in the third. $ Don Prazak had a two-run triple in the third, and Chuck Gandolfi an RBI triple in the fifth. Pinkstaff and Bob Michels ahd two hits each to lead Jack's. West End is 10-5 in the Eastern Division. The win assured them of a playoff spot. Jack's is 13-2 and the East leaders. Doherty's 6, West End Pub 4 Earlier in the night, West End dropped a 6-4 decision to Doherty's. Mike Rogers' two-run single in the sixth brought home the winning runs. Doherty's had taken an early lead on Mike LeGoode's RBI hit, coupled with a three-base error scoring Steve Mai, Twig Miller and LeGoode. Steve Lane and Pat Hagberg had RBI singles in the second to close the gap. The Pub took the lead in the fourth on an RBI double by Pat Burke and a sacrifice fly by Doc Wallen. Doherty double plays in the third, fifth and sixth innings took the Pub out of the game. Doherty's is 10-4 in the Western Division, and headed for the playoffs. ••9 McHenry Oil-Jack's Snack Shop 7, Johnsburg Businessmen 1 McHenry Oil - Jack's Snack Shop took a 7-1 decision over the Johnsburg Businessmen earlier Monday. After Johnsburg took a 1-0 lead in the first, it was all Snack Shop. The first five Snack Shop batters in the game hit safely, as the winners scored four and never looked back. i Bob Michels had an RBI double, and Pete Blackburn a two-run single. Michels also had an RBI triple in the third, and Black­ burn's single in that inning scored him. Johnsburg is 7-8 in the West, and in the hunt for a playoff position, tied with River Shannon for third place in that division PAGE24-PLAINDEALER-FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1984 Sports Cepulis, McHenry runners rule River Run Sort of overcast, and it wasn't too hot." The list of winners in the race, which was 3.5 miles for those under 13, were: Girls 11 and under: Erin Boland, McH 27:04 Boys 11 and under: Dan Douglass, McH 29:40 Girls 12-13: Jennifer Baehne, McH 28:03 Boys 12-13: Paul Wember, McH 23:25 Girls 14-15: Alycia Harris, McH 1:05:12 Boys 14-15: Dennis Storlie, McH 41:52 Girls 16-17: Chris Schiller, CL 49:00 Boys 16-17: Steve Carby, McH 37:28 Women 18-24: Carrie Mortell, McH 45:50 Men 18-24: Wade Cepulis, McH 35:08 Women 25-29: Bobbie Mar­ tens, Spring Gr. 45:36 Men 25-29: Don Fredericks, Cary 36:23 Women 30-39: Susan O'Leary, McH 50:11 Men 30-39: Jim Wheeler, McH 35:32 Women 40-49: Bits Boone, CL 54:21 Men 40-49: Tom Spasojevich, McH 44:27 Men 50 and ove^ Stan Lenart, Batavia 49:43 By Chris Juzwik Plaindealer sports editor Last year'i infiltration of Chicago runners on McHenry's River Run had no effect on this year's race, as a trio of McHenry participants - led by winner Wade Cepulis - finished 1-2-3. Cepulis covered the 6.8 mile course in 35:09, bettering his third place clocking of a year ago by more than a minute. The time was a healthy amount off the River Run record, held by 1983 winner Dave Valentine, who ran a 34:10. Finishing second this year was Jim Wheeler, who com­ peted in the 30-39 year old division, and finished at 35:32, and third was Mike Eisele at 35:53, who along with Cepulis was entered in the 18-24 age bracket. The first woman to cross the finish line on Riverside Drive was Bobby Martens of Spring Grove, finishing at 45:36. Carrie Mortell of McHenry was second at 45:50. Cepulis, who said it was his fifth or sixth River Run, looked to be in control pretty much from the start. He, Wheeler and Eisele were strung together all the way, but Cepulis said he started to pull away at the 4% mile mark. "They were all pretty much following me from the begin­ ning," Cepulis said. "THE FIRST HALF was really slow," the winner said. "I think it was 19:18 in Johnsburg (the half-way point). But we really picked up in the second half." Cepulis said that the three McHenry runners train together,, and said he wasn't really surprised at their domination. "I was third last year, so I figured I had a chance," Cepulis said. Wheeler finished second in 1983, while Eisele was fourth. "Last year the guy from Chicago (Valentine) was an Ail- American (at North Park College) and came out and won, but he wasn't here this time." Cepulis, a McHenry High School graduate in 1982, will be entering his junior year at the University of Illinois, where he runs track and cross-country. "I thought I ran pretty well the second half of the race," Cepulis, who finished quite strong, said. CEPULIS SAID he was fairly pleased with his time in the race. "The weather was good. Bobbie Martens of Spring Grove takes a break after becoming the first female finisher at Tuesday's McHenry River Run. Martens covered the course, which is just under seven miles in length, in 45:36.